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ameliabee33's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The only reason I didn't give this four stars was because I had a difficult time remaining interested in the story about halfway through the book. I have read other books by Moreno-Garcia and have just loved them, like Mexican Gothic and Gods of Jade and Shadow. So when I saw another book by this author I immediately picked it up, because their writing style is beautiful and I am sucked into the world every time. This book isn't usually what I read, I thought there would be more romance in it. If you are looking for characters that are easily loveable, this is not your book. The characters are raw, flawed, selfish, and human. There is conflict all the time and I enjoyed reading about the twists and turns two characters took to end up at the same place. If you are looking for a conclusive ending to this story, you will not find one. The ending is more open, And I hope that Maite took Elvis up on his offer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, and Death
Moderate: Violence and Alcohol
lelyreads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Cursing
Moderate: Gun violence, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Torture
annemaries_shelves's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Reading Velvet was the Night just sucked me into the atmosphere and world of 1970s Mexico City - a time of uncertainty, change, tension, political strife, protests, and oppression.
Like most noirs, Velvet was the Night has no true heroes - instead we have two main anti-heroes/heroines whose perspectives we follow in alternating chapters. Each are seeking a missing young woman, Leonora - a typical rich bohemian 'activist' slumming it with the poorer artist rebellious students. She has pictures that supposedly incriminate various people who were at a protest turned massacre in 1971, which is where our story opens. Our anti-hero El Elvis is a hired thug, a Hawk, who's tasked with finding the woman and her camera when all he wants to do is listen to his records and make something of himself. Maite is our anti-heroine, the almost 30-year-old (she basically considers herself a reluctant old maid) insecure woman who's prone to flights of fanciful imagination, and just wants to be paid for taking care of Leonora's cat.
In many ways, as the reader you don't care about Leonora - you're too absorbed in following these strangely compelling and unlikeable main characters as they spiral closer to the truth and to each other. And if you're like me, you're also very concerned about the cat that no one else seems to care about (though there's no animal violence).
Like with her other books, the first half is slower and the second half ramps up the tension and action. While I did guess the plot twists it was still very satisfying seeing it come together. The setting - a more realistic, working class, and 'gritty' Mexico City - was extremely well done and I loved learning more about the city, the time period, and the types of lives some characters (and real people) were living. I spent a lot of time reading on Wikipedia to contextualize the historical events that the text was referring to. You don't need additional research and knowledge to understand the story but I found it very helpful to support what Moreno-Garcia was including. Her Spotify playlist also made a great accompaniment as music features heavily in the book and listening to the songs referenced really added to the atmosphere and sense of time and place.
Overall, I really enjoyed this - it's a sub-genre I don't read often and I really appreciated a modern, fresh take on it. The mystery element was interesting enough but it was the main characters and the atmosphere that really drew me in and kept me engaged. I'd recommend for fans of noirs, slow-burn character-based mysteries, or more modern historical fiction.
CW: violence and murder on par with noirs and crime-focused stories.
Like most noirs, Velvet was the Night has no true heroes - instead we have two main anti-heroes/heroines whose perspectives we follow in alternating chapters. Each are seeking a missing young woman, Leonora - a typical rich bohemian 'activist' slumming it with the poorer artist rebellious students. She has pictures that supposedly incriminate various people who were at a protest turned massacre in 1971, which is where our story opens. Our anti-hero El Elvis is a hired thug, a Hawk, who's tasked with finding the woman and her camera when all he wants to do is listen to his records and make something of himself. Maite is our anti-heroine, the almost 30-year-old (she basically considers herself a reluctant old maid) insecure woman who's prone to flights of fanciful imagination, and just wants to be paid for taking care of Leonora's cat.
In many ways, as the reader you don't care about Leonora - you're too absorbed in following these strangely compelling and unlikeable main characters as they spiral closer to the truth and to each other. And if you're like me, you're also very concerned about the cat that no one else seems to care about (though there's no animal violence).
Like with her other books, the first half is slower and the second half ramps up the tension and action. While I did guess the plot twists it was still very satisfying seeing it come together. The setting - a more realistic, working class, and 'gritty' Mexico City - was extremely well done and I loved learning more about the city, the time period, and the types of lives some characters (and real people) were living. I spent a lot of time reading on Wikipedia to contextualize the historical events that the text was referring to. You don't need additional research and knowledge to understand the story but I found it very helpful to support what Moreno-Garcia was including. Her Spotify playlist also made a great accompaniment as music features heavily in the book and listening to the songs referenced really added to the atmosphere and sense of time and place.
Overall, I really enjoyed this - it's a sub-genre I don't read often and I really appreciated a modern, fresh take on it. The mystery element was interesting enough but it was the main characters and the atmosphere that really drew me in and kept me engaged. I'd recommend for fans of noirs, slow-burn character-based mysteries, or more modern historical fiction.
CW: violence and murder on par with noirs and crime-focused stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Gun violence, Blood, Death, and Murder
paulasnotsosecretdiary's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Velvet Was The Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia tells the story of two lonely people who dream about having ideal lives as inspired by music ad books. Elvis is a hired strong man charged with disrupting civic protests during Mexico's unrest in the 1970s. He desires to have a "normal" life with a steady girlfriend or wife and a regular job. Romance magazines inspire Maite; she is plain and socially isolated. Her desire to live a life of mystery and passion stems from her impressive collection of books and records, which her mother critiques. Asked to look after her glamorous and intriguing neighbor's cat for the weekend, Maite is first willingly pulled into investigating her neighbor's whereabouts when she does not return. As Elvis and Maite's paths collide, both come to realize the people and lives they idolize are fictions that are less appealing than they thought. The character development and plot twists were the book's highlights, but I feel I need to re-read it again in the future as my focus was off. I read it during the rise of omicron and found it hard to concentrate on reading, and I feel I need to give the book another chance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Torture
girlonbooks's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ššš Three Stars (As rated in Leonoraās cat)
Maite knows big love is out there; sheās read about it in all her favorite comic books. But the pieces of romance sheās found IRL are just soā¦ boring! She goes from her job to her home to her motherās house and back again, always imagining that something unusual might whisk her into a whirlwind of intrigue. When her neighbor, Leonora, asks that she cat-sit for a long weekend, Maite agrees simply because she has nothing better to do. But when Leonora doesnāt return as planned, Maite uncovers a lot more excitement than she was prepared to handle. If only a dashing young man were to come to her aid. Or maybe even three?
Maite knows big love is out there; sheās read about it in all her favorite comic books. But the pieces of romance sheās found IRL are just soā¦ boring! She goes from her job to her home to her motherās house and back again, always imagining that something unusual might whisk her into a whirlwind of intrigue. When her neighbor, Leonora, asks that she cat-sit for a long weekend, Maite agrees simply because she has nothing better to do. But when Leonora doesnāt return as planned, Maite uncovers a lot more excitement than she was prepared to handle. If only a dashing young man were to come to her aid. Or maybe even three?
āShe had peered into the soul, the life, of another human being, and she had cut out a part of them and theyād never know it.ā
I both loved this book and I didnāt. I wanted it to end and I didnāt. Before I say anything else let me make it clear that I am a SMG Stan for life! The woman can write and well. I would read a grocery list if it had her signature at the bottom. For whatever reason, however, this story just didnāt have me very gripped. I did finish it, though, so it deserves at least 3 stars for that. Also, the narration was seriously top notch and I really knew these characters by the end. So def go the audiobook route if youāre able and maybe donāt expect this book to change your life. To sum up: While I honestly relate to and agree with a lot of the criticisms about this book Iām also not honestly able to say I didnāt like it. I guess whatever spell Moreno-Garcia has on me is there for the long haul (Not that Iām complaining?) because Iāll probably buy every book she ever writes.
āØ Read this book because: you have often longed for your life to be more like a movie or can relate to a starry-eyed Latina getting herself into a real big mess.
āØ Content warnings for this book: violence, organized crime, state sanctioned violence, corrupt government, kidnapping, sexual content, medical stuff, gun violence
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, and Violence
hanz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content and Sexual content
sunbearbeam's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual content
hanarama's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Cw: gun violence, police brutality, stalking, murder, torture
The Good:
ā¢ Interesting historical setting
ā¢ Mystery unfolds over two PoV
ā¢ Beautiful cover
The Bad:
ā¢ Unlikable main character
ā¢ Mystery feels inconsequential
You Might Like This if You Like:
ā¢ Noir
ā¢ The 1970s
ā¢ Bad Times at the El Royale
I really wanted to like this book, and I feel like there was a lot of promise. This could have been a really fun noir mystery. The political unrest and the setting of 1970s Mexico City should have led to a twisting mystery. Unfortunately it was really held back by Maite as a main character.
Maite finds herself pulled out of the boring humdrum of her life as a secretary when her glamorous, art student neighbor, Leonora goes missing. Having agreed to look after Leonora's cat, Maite begins searching for her in order to return the animal.
Seriously, she brings up the cat constantly through the book as her reason for looking for Leonora. Even as things become more intense and dangerous, it feels like all Maite cares about are dumb romance comics and getting rid of the cat. It might have worked if Maite embraced the mystery as an escape from her boring life, but she didn't.
Additionally, Maite makes a pretty poor detective. It feels like she's constantly in over her head, or being pulled along by other, more invested people. She spends most of her narration fawning over men, comparing them to the heroes in her comics, or comparing herself to other women. Combined with her disinterest in the mystery, I'm really wondering why she's one of the leads. She's just frustrating, and her disinterest really makes it feel like the mystery isn't worth solving.
Elvis, the second PoV character is a criminal and part of an organization that hampers socialist groups. He's tasked with tailing Maite and finding out what happened to Leonora. On the whole, he's more likable than Maite, but is mostly uninteresting. He becomes weirdly fixated on Maite and fantasizes about her. Because I knew what was going on in Maite's head, this felt really pointless.
The Good:
ā¢ Interesting historical setting
ā¢ Mystery unfolds over two PoV
ā¢ Beautiful cover
The Bad:
ā¢ Unlikable main character
ā¢ Mystery feels inconsequential
You Might Like This if You Like:
ā¢ Noir
ā¢ The 1970s
ā¢ Bad Times at the El Royale
I really wanted to like this book, and I feel like there was a lot of promise. This could have been a really fun noir mystery. The political unrest and the setting of 1970s Mexico City should have led to a twisting mystery. Unfortunately it was really held back by Maite as a main character.
Maite finds herself pulled out of the boring humdrum of her life as a secretary when her glamorous, art student neighbor, Leonora goes missing. Having agreed to look after Leonora's cat, Maite begins searching for her in order to return the animal.
Seriously, she brings up the cat constantly through the book as her reason for looking for Leonora. Even as things become more intense and dangerous, it feels like all Maite cares about are dumb romance comics and getting rid of the cat. It might have worked if Maite embraced the mystery as an escape from her boring life, but she didn't.
Additionally, Maite makes a pretty poor detective. It feels like she's constantly in over her head, or being pulled along by other, more invested people. She spends most of her narration fawning over men, comparing them to the heroes in her comics, or comparing herself to other women. Combined with her disinterest in the mystery, I'm really wondering why she's one of the leads. She's just frustrating, and her disinterest really makes it feel like the mystery isn't worth solving.
Elvis, the second PoV character is a criminal and part of an organization that hampers socialist groups. He's tasked with tailing Maite and finding out what happened to Leonora. On the whole, he's more likable than Maite, but is mostly uninteresting. He becomes weirdly fixated on Maite and fantasizes about her. Because I knew what was going on in Maite's head, this felt really pointless.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, and Stalking
hannahlee's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It was wonderful to see Moreno-Garcia dive into the world of noir! As with all her work I've read so far, she successfully marries a style I know with a setting and culture that I don't, with great results. I really felt for her characters, and enjoyed this fun yet dark romp based on real historical events.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Torture, Gun violence, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Violence
cindymarieo's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Death, Gun violence, and Police brutality